


The Soldier's Return

by GarnetAngel21



Category: Captain America
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Steve Rogers Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 06:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12742992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarnetAngel21/pseuds/GarnetAngel21
Summary: The soldier goes to the one person who will grant him answers.





	The Soldier's Return

A/N: This is basically the continuation of Bucky Barnes, The Captain which is an AU where Bucky became Captain America instead of Steve. I'd advise reading it before reading this one so it can make a bit more sense. Reviews are always welcome.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Marvel.

The sound of soft music drifted outside of an open window that led into an apartment, although it went unheard by most of the people scurrying below in the streets. One man was able to hear it quite clearly though, despite the apartment being on what appeared to be the third floor of the complex. The man pulled the hood of his black jacket further over his dirty blond hair and walked towards the building, his body filled with apprehension. 

A part of him wanted to turn around, it did not want to face the man that lived within the building- the man that had called him his friend when he had been busy trying to kill him. He now knew why the man -Captain America, he was called, although he preferred James or Bucky- had not fought back that day, why he had had tears deep within those light blue eyes as he had stared up at him. It unnerved him to no end and he hated it. However, he had come this far and he was not about to shrink away like a coward because of a little bit of uneasiness. 

He walked into the apartment building, his hood concealing his face and he made sure not to run into the female that lived opposite the man. He took a deep breath as he stood in front of a dark wooden door and with the feeling of dread increasing by the second, he knocked twice.

 

Bucky had been eating a cup of instant ramen noodles -he had not been in the mood to prepare dinner- when he heard a knock at the door. He gazed at the clock hanging on the wall of the living room and frowned slightly. It was nearly nine and it was a beautiful Friday evening, so that made him both curious and wary as to who his guest was. It was definitely not Tony as the billionaire was spending a weekend away in another country with his girlfriend. Natasha had disappeared, as had Banner and Clint and Fury were somewhere in Europe. Perhaps it was Sam who had come to check up on him? After hearing the person knock again, Bucky placed down the cup and walked to open the door. The sight of his mysterious guest filled his heart with both joy and sorrow.

It was Steve- his best friend, the man he thought had died nearly seventy years ago, the Winter Soldier.

He could not help but smile at the blond man. “Steve!” 

He moved to embrace his friend, but the other man flinched away and gazed at him with slight suspicion. While Bucky could not blame the man, he felt a slight ache form within his chest and the faintest of tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

If Steve noticed this, he did not say so. “Hello, James...” The blond man looked thoughtful for a moment. “Mr. Barnes?”

“Please, just call me Bucky. I mean, it was you who-” Bucky clenched his teeth together before he was able to complete his sentence. When they had last encountered each other, Steve had remembered nothing of his past and the Captain was unsure as to whether it was a sensitive topic for his friend.

“May I come in? I have a few questions. I won't be long.” Steve said, curtly. It was not that he was in a rush, he was just slightly worried about being found. He had killed many people and while Bucky seemed to be willing to speak to him in a civil manner he knew there were many who did not share the dark haired man's feelings. 

“Yes, come in. Would you like some tea or coffee? I have juice, too, if you want.” Bucky smiled, eagerly walking behind the blond and he gestured to an armchair in the living room. “Please, have a seat. Make yourself at home.”

Steve sat down and frowned slightly. He was not used to someone acting with such familiarity around him. “Thank you. I'll have a glass of juice...if that is okay.” He added, politely. 

Bucky smiled, thinly. Some things never changed- Steve was still as overly polite as ever. He poured the man a glass of orange juice and handed it to him before sitting down across the blond. He turned down his stereo and stared at his friend intently. 

Steve sipped his juice before he spoke. “I went to see your exhibition in the museum. It was strange, seeing myself in that glass memorial and in those old films...with you, laughing beside you... Our hair was different.”

Bucky chuckled softly. “Well, a lot of things change in seventy years- hairstyles especially.” 

A thin smile graced Steve's lips. “The museum provided me with some clarity, but there are still many things I do not remember. I am happy that I do have a name, though...” He caught the frown on Bucky's face before he continued. “While I was with HYDRA, I was merely called 'soldier' or 'asset'.”

Bucky's mouth suddenly felt dry and he swallowed hard. “I'm sorry.”

Steve merely gazed at the man. “They never mentioned how we met, how we grew up and so on. I want to know these things. Please, tell me more about myself- about Steven Rogers.”

 

Bucky rubbed his arm, nervously. “We met when we were kids. You were being bullied, they took your sketchbook from you and hit you. I interfered and managed to chase them off, but not without getting some bruises myself. You were really apologetic, crying and thanking me and since then we were basically best friends.”

Steve watched, intently, as Bucky's light blue eyes seemed to glow with fondness at the memories. 

“You were- I mean, are an amazing artist and I think if the war didn't happen then you would have gone to one of those fancy art schools. But the war did happen. You were probably the most eager guy to enlist, I think, because your dad was a soldier in the 107th infantry. I wasn't too sure what to do with myself at the time, work was a bit scarce, so I enlisted too. I wanted to keep an eye on you as well.”

“I know we were not immediately in the same unit. You were taken away by the scientists and I went to London. Do you know what happened to me after we were separated?” Steve asked.

“I know you met Peggy Carter and you two hit it off. I didn't hear from you until I came to London to do a show-”

Steve smirked slightly. “I saw a picture of you in your first costume. Those tights were nice.”

Bucky was slightly taken aback. His friend almost sounded just as he had all those years ago. Perhaps HYDRA had not erased Steve Rogers entirely. “Whatever. Anyway, you were captured and I found you and the rest is in the museum...”

Steve nodded. “They don't say what happened to my parents. Do you know?”

“Your father died in the war. Your mother died of TB- she was a nurse and nobody knew she was sick until it was too late.” Bucky frowned. “You took her death really bad. You refused to eat for almost two weeks and you didn't leave the house. I slept over to keep an eye on you, begged you to come out with me... Luckily, though, you snapped out of it. You were always strong like that, Steve. Nothing ever kept you down for long.”

The blond man avoided his gaze and stared at the wooden floors. “What was I like back then?”

“Polite, smart, shy and really, really reckless. I had to clean you up from too many alley brawls to count. But you always did what was right, you were just a good guy like that.” Bucky stared at his friend intently. “You're still a good guy.”

“We both know that is untrue.”

“HYDRA brainwashed you, they tortured you into becoming a weapon for them. Nothing you did was done out of your own free will, Steve.” Bucky clenched his fists.

“Pulling you from the river was.” Steve replied, avoiding the man's gaze.

“See? After years of suffering, you are finally free to make your own choices and your first decision was to save my life.” Bucky smiled, sincerely. “If that isn't proof of a good guy, then I don't know what is.”

Steve fidgeted slightly. “Thank you...Bucky. However, I don't think the rest of the world thinks of me as a good guy.”

“That's because they don't know you... They don't know what you've been through.” 

“Mind control is merely an excuse and you know it. It doesn't change what I did.”

Bucky frowned. Steve was right and as much as he hated to admit it, if the blond were placed on trial the judge would not care about the fact that the man had been tortured and brainwashed. The best thing for Steve to do was to disappear, create a new identity- a new life. But he didn't want Steve to disappear, he'd just gotten him back. He knew he was being selfish, but he was just so happy that his best friend was alive. 

“Are you alright, Bucky?”

“Huh? Yes, I am.” Bucky sighed. “And you're right- it may not change what you did, but you aren't the one to blame. I know...this is probably going to be the last time I see you because you'll go into hiding and I understand that, but I just want you to know I'll always be here for you.” He smiled thinly. “You could have read all of this information online, you know. The files have basically been made public.”

Steve knew this, but for some reason he had been compelled to speak to Bucky rather than read a document about himself. However, he did not say so. “Files can contain false information and... I knew, I don't know how I knew, that you would give me the truth if I asked...”

Bucky smiled, warmly, and he felt a sense of pride flow through him. It could not have been easy for Steve to have said those words. 

The dark haired man got up and walked to the bookshelf in the lounge. He picked up a pen and a notepad and wrote on it before tearing the page off and handing it to Steve. The blond scanned the page. It was a phone number.

“You can call me anytime, for anything. Even if you just need someone to talk to because you can't sleep... Don't hesitate, alright?” Light blue eyes were filled with emotion and Steve flinched slightly as he saw a tear run down the captain's face.

“Ah, sorry.” Bucky wiped his face and forced a smile. 

Steve felt his body tense up with emotion and he pulled the dark haired man into an embrace. It felt strange -he did not remember the last time he had had non violent physical contact with another person- and yet the feeling of Bucky touching him did not cause him to flinch like before. 

“It's okay, Bucky.” His voice sounded oddly soothing, as if someone else were speaking on his behalf. “We'll see each other again.”

“I know, Steve...” Bucky sighed, sadly and gazed at the blond who had pulled out of the embrace and was heading for the door. “Just...be careful, alright? Don't get into trouble.”

Steve smirked slightly and tossed him a sarcastic look, to which Bucky scowled. “You're a punk.”

“Jerk.” Steve replied, affectionately before closing the door behind him. 

Bucky walked to the window and watched Steve walk away, who looked back and gave one last wave before disappearing into the night. He knew that Steve vanishing was for the best, both for him and the blond, but it still hurt. He had just gotten his best friend back and he had to say goodbye again.

However, Bucky felt a small glimmer of hope radiate within him as he remembered that Steve had said they would see each other again. He smiled, thinly, as he picked up an old photograph of him and Steve when they were in the army together. 

“You don't ever have to feel alone or scared again, Steve.” He whispered to the photo. “I'm with you til the end of the line.”


End file.
